Depends.... my husband used to work at one. In the bulk section. They had two aisles of "remedies" - teas, vitamins, pills, an aisle of crap (candles, incense) a small deli, huge wine department and overpriced healthfood junkfood. The funniest aisle was the bulk aisle, at least 50% of which was just straight up normal candy- gummy worms, malt balls, reeses cups, caramels, M&M type things. He ran the bulk aisle and the whole grains etc. never sold, but the candy turned over very quickly.

It seemed more like a store targeted to pot heads that want to stick it to the man and eat non-corporate junk foods.

constantly dealing with this. i think "health store" basically means that they sell 21 different varieties of soy meat so that vegetarians can still pretend to experience a pale turducken. i've seen health food stores that seem like they are mostly candy. but it's vegan candy, so it's better for you.

Every now and then I'll try one of these strange pieces of junk because I'm curious (but the ingredients have to look okay to me too - that's a huge hurdle!)... but really, they're junk, part of your 20%, not an everyday food.

Why do health stores sell these things? because people buy them.
There isn't a single all-encompassing definition of "healthy" - so even though I think that soy and wheat might as well have a skull and crossbones on the package, other people feel that way about my butter, beef, and eggs.

I'm lucky the health food store in my town has plenty of veggies, locally sourced when ever possible, local pastured meats and wild caught fish. In mushroom season they carry foraged mushrooms. They even have locally made tinctures, soaps and salves.

1. I get so angry that most people seem to assume that because something is organic it is therefore good for you.
2. There seems to be another assumption that to be healthy one must take vast quantities of supplements, remedies and treatments.

These are the contents of our 'health food shops' here in NZ, shelves and shelves of bottles with tablets and overpriced (and over processed) organic junk food.

I get coconut oil from the health food store... and they generally have some nice eggs there (but that's the only fresh food). The rest is mostly supplements and other stuff that I don't really look at. Sure there are SOME worthwhile things there... but most is what CW people consider "health" food.

1. I get so angry that most people seem to assume that because something is organic it is therefore good for you.
2. There seems to be another assumption that to be healthy one must take vast quantities of supplements, remedies and treatments.

These are the contents of our 'health food shops' here in NZ, shelves and shelves of bottles with tablets and overpriced (and over processed) organic junk food.

There are two health food shops in wellington that I know of. One of them sells great personal care products at decent prices -- assuming you don't make your own which we now do because it's less expensive than buying these expensive personal care products. the other is more like a regular grocery store.

If we could buy 100% organic here, we would. Problem is, it's *WAY* too expensive, particularly for the volume that we eat. WAY too expensive. It costs 1/3 more for the basics, and that's not including the meats, etc. So, we focus on local, grass fed, and don't worry about the organic label.

The "health" shop called me back (I gave then my phone number is case their vendors have water kefir grains or dried kombucha scoby).

They said none of their vendors ever heard about kefir or kombucha.

Cool. And they call themselves a health shop That's not primal blueprint, I could understand if it were something against CW, but the health benefits of kefir and kombucha are recognized even by CW.

No problem, I'll buy some of their magic stones and keep them in my pocket. They will radiate positive energy, rebalance my inner self and regulate my chi, chakra and I don't know what else, but in the end I will fill better and my gut flora will bloom like tulips in spring. I'm sure. I believe it.